Dabney Coleman Describes Steve McQueen "Directing Him" In Their Sole Scene Together

If you believe, as I do, that the most important star in The Towering Inferno was Steve McQueen (with kudos to a very handsome and trim Paul Newman for trying to keep up)...possibly McQueen's best scene came near the end, when Fire Chief Dabney Coleman summons McQueen to a meeting about the "final option" to stop the skyscraper fire before it kills everyone left at the top of the tower: blow up the water tanks at the top of the building to flood the building with water.

McQueen certainly anchors the scene -- his face darkly tan and soot-ridden, his eyes weary and tired from the fight, but his mind working overtime to try to save lives. He receives information from his boss(Fire Chief Coleman) and only occasionally speaks, but to great effect:

"What explosion?" (Other characters talk). Again: "What explosion?"

"You could kill everybody up there!"

(When an expert says "I think it will work). "You THINK..."

And then this: "How do I get back down?"

(Coleman remains silent, his face giving away the fact that there IS no way.)

"Oh,...sh...t."

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I recently stumbled onto an internet interview with Dabney Coleman where he detailed the shooting of that scene. Some good insights(good and bad)into McQueen.

First of all, McQueen stayed in his trailer(with then-wife Ali MacGraw) for 90 minutes past the call time to start the scene. Actors, crew and 300 extras had to wait. Then McQueen emerged, ready to do the scene.

"Who is playing the fire chief?" McQueen asked the director. "HIM?" Evidently Coleman felt that McQueen felt he was wrong in some way.

McQueen approached Coleman with great seriousness "Are you ready to do this scene? Its the most important scene in the movie...if this scene doesn't go right..the movie goes in the toilet, you understand that?"

Coleman sought to reassure McQueen, noting that they had both gone to the same acting school. McQueen nodded and said "well, let's rehearse." Interesting that McQueen sought to rehearse.

Then they did the scene, from various angles. When the time came for just close-ups on Coleman(and another actor playing another fire official), McQueen was right alongside the camera, watching intently...and giving Coleman a "thumbs up" when he finished. "Strong," said McQueen to Coleman. "Very strong."

So Coleman passed favor with "director" McQueen (under a lot of pressure!)

And it IS a good scene, and come to think of it, its a pretty important scene.